Welcome to the home page for the Evaluation of Mandatory Residential Substance Abuse Programs. This research evaluation operates out of the Department of Criminal Justice at California State University, Long Beach and the CSULB Foundation. This five-year collaborative research project is funded by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).

This evaluation examines the residential substance abuse aftercare programs provided by Senate Bill (SB) 1453 and the Mandatory Conditions of Parole (MCOP) executive order. The primary distinctions between these two programs include the type of parolees eligible for services (SB1453 excludes violent offenders, MCOP includes offenders with histories of violence) and the duration of residential services (150 days for 1453 and 120 days for MCOP). Also, participants under SB 1453 treatment are discharged from parole after 150 days of successful residential treatment, whereas MCOP participants revert to standard parole following completion of residential treatment.

The overarching goal of this evaluation is to examine the MCOP, SB 1453, SASCA and Community Based Residential Treatment programs along four primary domains: Program Implementation and Early Operation; Program Participant Characteristics and Flow; Promising Practices and Program Improvement; and Program Dynamics, Outcomes, and Cost-Offsets. We are looking at how these programs are implemented and operate, the process of screening and selecting inmates for treatment, the types of services clients receive in the community, and the extent to which clients achieve incremental improvement in various life domains (education, employment, etc.). We are also interested in cost-offset of these programs and, most importantly, public safety and reduced recidivism.

If you are aparoleeand want to find out more about this research, the survey, free gift cards, and our confidentiality protections, please click here.

If you are a Substance Abuse Services Coordination Agency (SASCA) or Community Based Provider (CBP) representative, answers to your most frequently asked questions can be accessed here.

If you are a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) representative, assigned to the Division of Addiction and Recovery (DARS), Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO), Division of Adult Institutions (DAI), Board of Parole Hearings (BPH) or other related agency, answers to your most frequently asked questions can be accessed here.

Our research team includes thirteen highly trained professionals, many of whom are nationally known experts in their respective sub disciplines. These include four CSULB professors with expertise in parole and treatment, eight graduate research assistants with specialized training and education, and one professional staff member: Click here for contact information.

Thank you for your interest in this important research endeavor. We look forward to meeting you in the coming months.